The Pullman Strike of 1894 The great national railroad strike of 1894, sometimes referred to as the Chicago Railroad Strike, but more commonly known as the Pullman Strike, was one of the longest, most intense, and bitterly fought labor disputes in United States history. The strike was the result of over two decades of recurrent conflict between laborers and their employer, the American railroads. This strike affected the entire country and its economy due to the fact that both sides of the argument were sufficiently organized better than ever before, and could only be ended by mediation by the Federal Government.
One of the sleeping cars manufactured by Pullman Palace Car Company.
Pullman Palace Car Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company was founded by George Pullman and manufactured railroad sleeping cars and other rolling stock. Along with the workers who produced the rolling stock, Pullman also employed the conductors, porters, attendants and brakemen who maintained the cars. By 1893 the company was employing 5,800 men in the home plant and shops in Pullman, Illinois and had accomplished a near monopoly in the production of these sleeping cars. In the same year a financial panic in the New York stock market and American banking community created a devistating national depression.
The Depression
Due to this failure in the national economy, declining markets and falling prices resulted in widespread wage reductions, lay-offs of workers, and the complete shutdown of Pullman plants. During this year several railroad companies cut back or cancelled orders for stock made by Pullman. President, George Pullman reacted by reducing his work force from 5,800 to 1,100 before the years end along with cutting the wages of workers by about 25%. From there he began to take orders at a loss and to meet resulting orders he returned 2,200 men to company payrolls, so that his factory force had risen to nearly 3,300 in 1894. In the previous years of 1893, when drastic cutbacks were made in wage scales and work force, the company kept a surplus of over $4 million after paying its regular dividend. Meaning, if the company had divered only parts of this surplus to the paryoll in 1893 and 1894, ther would have been no need for the 25% cut in the workers wages.
Financial Trouble
At the same time that the company reduced wages and laid off workers, it did not as the landlord, reduce the cost of rent, utlities, and other mandatory services of workers who were forced to live in the company owned houses. The workers were further embittered by the fact that the salaries of company executives, superintendents, and shop formen were not reduced at all.
Worker’s Response
In response to the pay cuts, the workers initially attempted arbitration. When the company refused, the American Railway Union called for a strike. They asked workers to refuse to run trains pulling Pullman cars. They allowed trains to run, so long as there were no Pullman cars being pulled. The railways, however, said they had to pull Pullman cars because of contracts they had with the company. As a result workers near Chicago stopped operating passenger trains. The strike spread to 27 states (there were 44 at the time). The United States Army intervened; claiming the flow of mail was being interrupted. The Attorney General at the time, Richard Olney, sought an injunction under the Sherman Anti- Trust Act. This act was initially created to prevent the growth of monopolies, but Olney stated the ARU as monopolizing railroad workers. Eugene Debs, the current president of the ARU, was arrested and imprisoned. The case went to the Supreme Court.
Thousands of workers walk off the job on May 11, 1894.
Immediate Effects
This failed strike was a huge setback for the trade union movement. Eugene Debs received national attention from the incident. After the incident, Debs and many of his followers converted to socialism. The strike highlighted one of the major problems with all of this new technology. Samuel Gompers wrote the following letter to Judge Peter Grossup concerning Debs’ imprisonment: “You know, or ought to know, that the introduction of machinery is turning into idleness thousands faster than the new industries are founded, and yet, machinery certainly should not be either destroyed or hampered in its full development. The laborer is a man; he is made warm by the same sun and made cold - yes, colder - by the same winter as you are. He has a heart and brain, and feels and knows the human and paternal instinct for those depending upon him as keenly as do you.
What shall the workers do? Sit idly by and see the vast resources of nature and the human mind be utilized and monopolized for the benefit of the comparative few? No. The laborers must learn to think and act, and soon, too, that only by the power of organization and common concert of action can either their manhood be maintained, their rights to life be recognized, and liberty and rights secured.”
In this he is saying that with all of the new jobs machines are eliminating, laborers need to adapt, but unions must be reestablished to protect man’s rights.
Long Term Effects
Though the results of the Pullman strike are not very extreme, the strike had some effect on long-term labor relations in the United States. The power of the union was definitely exhibited in the strike, but so was the federal government’s willingness to intervene, especially with force. This majorly discouraged future strikes. During the Pullman strike, 13 workers were killed and 57 injured.
Haymarket Riots that left 13 workers killed and 57 injured
The great national railroad strike of 1894, sometimes referred to as the Chicago Railroad Strike, but more commonly known as the Pullman Strike, was one of the longest, most intense, and bitterly fought labor disputes in United States history. The strike was the result of over two decades of recurrent conflict between laborers and their employer, the American railroads. This strike affected the entire country and its economy due to the fact that both sides of the argument were sufficiently organized better than ever before, and could only be ended by mediation by the Federal Government.
Pullman Palace Car Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company was founded by George Pullman and manufactured railroad sleeping cars and other rolling stock. Along with the workers who produced the rolling stock, Pullman also employed the conductors, porters, attendants and brakemen who maintained the cars. By 1893 the company was employing 5,800 men in the home plant and shops in Pullman, Illinois and had accomplished a near monopoly in the production of these sleeping cars. In the same year a financial panic in the New York stock market and American banking community created a devistating national depression.The Depression
Due to this failure in the national economy, declining markets and falling prices resulted in widespread wage reductions, lay-offs of workers, and the complete shutdown of Pullman plants. During this year several railroad companies cut back or cancelled orders for stock made by Pullman. President, George Pullman reacted by reducing his work force from 5,800 to 1,100 before the years end along with cutting the wages of workers by about 25%. From there he began to take orders at a loss and to meet resulting orders he returned 2,200 men to company payrolls, so that his factory force had risen to nearly 3,300 in 1894. In the previous years of 1893, when drastic cutbacks were made in wage scales and work force, the company kept a surplus of over $4 million after paying its regular dividend. Meaning, if the company had divered only parts of this surplus to the paryoll in 1893 and 1894, ther would have been no need for the 25% cut in the workers wages.Financial Trouble
At the same time that the company reduced wages and laid off workers, it did not as the landlord, reduce the cost of rent, utlities, and other mandatory services of workers who were forced to live in the company owned houses. The workers were further embittered by the fact that the salaries of company executives, superintendents, and shop formen were not reduced at all.Worker’s Response
In response to the pay cuts, the workers initially attempted arbitration. When the company refused, the American Railway Union called for a strike. They asked workers to refuse to run trains pulling Pullman cars. They allowed trains to run, so long as there were no Pullman cars being pulled. The railways, however, said they had to pull Pullman cars because of contracts they had with the company. As a result workers near Chicago stopped operating passenger trains. The strike spread to 27 states (there were 44 at the time). The United States Army intervened; claiming the flow of mail was being interrupted. The Attorney General at the time, Richard Olney, sought an injunction under the Sherman Anti- Trust Act. This act was initially created to prevent the growth of monopolies, but Olney stated the ARU as monopolizing railroad workers. Eugene Debs, the current president of the ARU, was arrested and imprisoned. The case went to the Supreme Court.Thousands of workers walk off the job on May 11, 1894.
Immediate Effects
This failed strike was a huge setback for the trade union movement. Eugene Debs received national attention from the incident. After the incident, Debs and many of his followers converted to socialism. The strike highlighted one of the major problems with all of this new technology. Samuel Gompers wrote the following letter to Judge Peter Grossup concerning Debs’ imprisonment:“You know, or ought to know, that the introduction of machinery is turning into idleness thousands faster than the new industries are founded, and yet, machinery certainly should not be either destroyed or hampered in its full development. The laborer is a man; he is made warm by the same sun and made cold - yes, colder - by the same winter as you are. He has a heart and brain, and feels and knows the human and paternal instinct for those depending upon him as keenly as do you.
What shall the workers do? Sit idly by and see the vast resources of nature and the human mind be utilized and monopolized for the benefit of the comparative few? No. The laborers must learn to think and act, and soon, too, that only by the power of organization and common concert of action can either their manhood be maintained, their rights to life be recognized, and liberty and rights secured.”
In this he is saying that with all of the new jobs machines are eliminating, laborers need to adapt, but unions must be reestablished to protect man’s rights.
Long Term Effects
Though the results of the Pullman strike are not very extreme, the strike had some effect on long-term labor relations in the United States. The power of the union was definitely exhibited in the strike, but so was the federal government’s willingness to intervene, especially with force. This majorly discouraged future strikes. During the Pullman strike, 13 workers were killed and 57 injured.Resources:
Primary Sources:
The Pullman Strike, Spartus SchoolNet:http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USApullman.htm
Secondary Sources:
The Pullman Strike, The California Historian: http://www.californiahistorian.com/articles/pullman-strike.html#topThe Pullman Strike and the Crisis of the 1890's, Various Authors:
http://books.google.com/books?id=OA-31eBGzpkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=pullman+strike&source=bl&ots=NKU9SPd8k2&sig=6cK7NdV4Dag6GC6K7tYimsqSi5w&hl=en&ei=arjeS4vjA8P48AbY3ISkBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Pullman Strike, EHistory at the University of Ohio:
http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/content/pullman.cfm
The Pullman Strike, Almont Lindsey:
http://books.google.com/books?id=oaWamk_kwfQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=pullman+strike&source=bl&ots=rk174Wm7oN&sig=lMqWBkipS0297hBFA022X0LyuIQ&hl=en&ei=ZLfeS9J1woLyBrvB6J4F&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCYQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Freebie:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.economicexpert.com%2Fa%2FPullman%3AStrike.htm&h=0db4f
Pictography:
http://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstock/CandS/dsp-passenger/images/coach-RPO_denver_1939.jpg
http://toddshammer.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/haymarketb1a.gif
http://www.lib.niu.edu/1994/ihy9412081.jpg